PhoneSuit Power Core Micro: a tiny package that charges your iPhone

Given all that the iPad and iPhone can do, it's amazing their batteries last as long as they do. With that being said, and while I never worry about taking my iPad on a day trip without its charger, my iPhone 5 is a constant worry. I use Maps (Google Maps) heavily and am constantly reading and composing emails on the go. I'm also researching things on the web, composing articles in Pages, etc... Needless to say, it's usually not even 4 PM each day when my iPhone battery level is dangerously low.

Since my office is mobile, I'm not always close to a power outlet to plug into. There are options like external battery packs, but most are generally so big and bulky I've eschewed them for a long time. Well, no more! I've since found the PhoneSuit Power Core Micro and now it goes everywhere my iPhone does.

The PhoneSuit Power Core Micro is the smallest iPhone battery pack I have found to date. It measures just 85mm x 60mm x 15mm and weighs only 99 grams. Best of all it slips into my jacket pocket easily and it is so light that it's hard to remember I'm carrying it. The device itself has both a micro-USB and a regular USB port. The micro-USB port is used to charge the battery pack via the included micro-USB cable. The full USB port is used to charge your iPad or iPhone (or any other device that charges via USB) via your 30-pin Dock or Lightning cable.

The Micro's body is designed from a pleasing metallic rubber component and is stamped with a machined aluminum band around its center. On the front of the Power Core Micro you'll find four soothing squared blue LED lights. This is the unit's power storage meter. Each light square represents a 25 percent charge, so it's easy to see how much juice is left in the unit itself. On the top of the device you'll find the power button. Press it to turn on the device and see its current charge. The Power Core Micro has an automatic off function, so it's not draining precious power when it's not charging your device.

In my tests, the Power Core Micro charged my iPhone 5 from a 9 percent charge to a 99 percent charge in less than an hour. It also saved my hide while I was conducting an interview with a Google employee last week. Using iOS's Voice Memo app left my phone 1 percent away from shutting off with 30 minutes of the interview left to go. Thankfully I had my Power Core Micro on hand.

Inside the Power Core Micro is a high-density 3,500 mAh battery, which holds enough power for two full iPhone 5 charges (in my tests). The device also allows for pass-through charging, so you can charge your iOS device at the same time as charging the Power Core Micro (handy if you only have one USB port available).

Hopefully there will come a day when the iPhone's battery lasts 24 or more hours in heavy usage. Until then the PhoneSuit Power Core Micro will continue to go everywhere my iPhone does. The PhoneSuit Power Core Micro is US$79.95.